EXALTATION OF THE CROSS, SEPTEMBER 14

HOPEFUL BEFORE THE CROSS

Life is full of hard questions. A woman asks why at old age, her grown-up son still clings to her for support. A young widow wonders why her husband was taken from her too soon. A young man, earning a lot of money abroad, feels empty and unhappy that he cannot find the suitable partner.

These perplexing situations represent the ever-pervasive phenomenon of the Cross, of human suffering and anguish. We encounter sufferings in various ways - physical, emotional or mental. Every person has a cross to carry, a trial to endure, because this is part of the larger mystery of life.

Today we celebrate an unusual feast - the Feast of the Cross. Why must we celebrate the Cross? Must we rejoice over pains and problems? It is hard to imagine doing precisely this.  But what we celebrate is not just any cross, not senseless suffering or needless pain.  Our eyes are focused on the cross of Jesus – which has turned defeat into victory and death into life. Jesus took the cross bravely and destroyed its evil influence with the power of God’s love.

This feast invites us to behold our own crosses with faith in Jesus.  Before our daily crosses, we can be either of two things – hopeless or hopeful.  When suffering comes to some people, they become hopeless.  Unable to deal with difficulty, they become cowards who are unable to move forward.  Their cross stops them, crushes their spirits, makes them helpless in the face of serious challenges.

But Christians are called to deal with the cross in the same way as Jesus.  He too felt fear and he almost surrendered to it.  But he faced his cross hopeful, not hopeless.  He accepted it, matured in it and overcame it in the end.  He knew he was not carrying it all alone.  The Father was right there with him.  True enough, came the resurrection!

To tremble before the cross is natural.  But supernatural grace comes to those who know how to carry the cross with trust and with love, just as Jesus did. If we ask for strength, he will supply it to us through faith.  As we look at the cross today, let us ask that we may not be hopeless but hopeful.  We too, will overcome our Cross.